Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-20
A Grcat Railway System.

Companies have excited interest through
out the country, but especially IN the
South. All Of the lines Of road OF these
companies are in the South, and Southern
Interests are affected by the combination
OF them which has been made.
There have been reports lately that
efforts were being made to bring the
Georgia Central into the combination.
There does not appear TO be any reliable
information 10 be obtained respecting the
truth Of these reports, or respecting the
probability of the success OF the Efforts II
they were to be made. There is no doubt
that the combination is an immense one,
and that II ts bound to have a great in
fiuence upon the material interests of the
South. The Baltimore Sun prints the fol-
lowing interesting facts respecting it.
"Ihe Richmond and West Point Ter
minal and Warehouse Company modestly
contents itself as yet with q designation
derived from a short line OF road extend
ing from Richmond to West Point, on the
York river, and the terminal facilities at
the latter point, but as 1t some time ago
added the Georgia Pacific to the Rich
organized in 1880 to control, and has now
taken steps to acquire control Of the great
East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia
system, 1t is fast becoming q monster
corporation, rlvaling in the extent Of its
mileage the largest railroad combinations
of the United States.
Its charter authorizes it TO change It's
name when desired to Richmond, Dan
vile and Southern Railway Company
and now that the ideas OF it's founders
have been approximately realized, the
more descriptive name will doubtless, al
ter no long time, be assumed. The Rich
mOnd and Danville system has mileage
Of 2,324 miles, extending from Alexanz~
dria, Va, TO Atlanta, Ga, and thenc6167
miles further over the Georgia<Pacitic,
which it controls to Birmingham, Ala,
the great coal, irSh and limestone
centre of the~ Gulf States. Connec.
tons are lad at that city with New Or
teams, Nicksburg ana other South western
points. The branches Of the through line
are these; The road from Richmond to
tdewater at West Point a road extend
ing from Green sbOrough, n. c., on the
main line 1870 miles to GoldsbOrOugh; "a
road running west from Salisbury 1870
miles to Point Rock, Tenn. ON the East
Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia. Be
sides these there are other short branches
reaching points in North Carolina and
south Carolina, among them some that
give access to sources OF traffic like
Charleston and Augusta.
"The new acquisition, the East Ten
nessee, Virginia and Georgia, adds ,42S
miles to the Richmond and Danville sys-
tenn and gives it important outlets upon
the Atlantic and the Mississippi. Begin
ming at Bristol, Tenn, near the Virginia
border, the main line extends southwest
wardly 242 miles to Chattanooga, and
thence over the old Memphis and Charles.
ton road $40 miles to Memphis. From
Cleveland, Tenn, twenty nine miles east
of Chattanooga, a branch stretches south
west S77 miles to Meridian, Miss. An
other branch extends from the main
line 1851 miles toward the south
east, and traversing Rome, Atlanta
and Macon, reaches the Atlantic at
Brunswick, Ga. Connections give the
system share of the business with Flori-
da and the Southwest. Whether for pur-
poses OF traffic in Southern staples or for
big operations in Wall street, the system
of 4, ll9 miles, as it exists to-day, pre-
sents certainly magnificent scope for the
energies of its owners. But fulther addi-
tions are said to be contemplated. The
Norfolk and Western, a road 4O8
miles long, extending from Nor
folk to Bristol, will almost in
evitably,it is asserted, fall into the
hands of the Richmond aud Danville, I'M
less the owners OF the Norfolk and West
ern, carrying out project they are said
TO have in mind, build themselves con-
nectlon westward from Bristol to the En-
LANCER system.
1.-The Shenandoah Valley railroad,
which extends 238 miles from Hagers-
town, Md, to Roanoke City, a point on
the Norfolk and Western, is interested
i'll this projected extension. inasmuch as
without 1t its Southern terminus will be
in the air. The logic of the situation,
however, it is held among railroad men.
points to the absorption OF both the Nor
folk and Western and the Shenandoah
Valley in the Richmond and Danyille
system. Such absorption is not necessary
the aforementioned company, as it has
an outlet, as already stated, from the East
Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia eastward
through North Carolina to its main line,
but possession OF the Norfolk ana West
ern would have distinct advantages.
Should the Norfolk and Western and the
Shenandoah Valley roads have the fate
marked out for them the Richmond ana
Danvile system will control, il is esti-
mated, more miles of road than are EN-
braced In the entire Pennsylvania system,
and several hundred miles more than are
contained in the Vanderbilt system with
all its branches. Under strict enforce
ment OF the interstate commerce act such
ordinations are not, perhaps, 10 be recG-
oned as wholly inimical TO the interests
OF the South, though they seem TO be ini-
tiated for the most part by spectators to
facilitate the manufacture OF new secu-
rites to gamble with In Wall street.
The schoolmaster stiffness Of the Post
master General and the Boston reserve
of the secretary OF War mas given rise TO
the story that there il a GOODNESS between